Hardware accessories don’t tend to be as smart as software.
Keyboards and mice often are plugged into a single system, never to be moved.
Software tends to be “smarter”: it works smoothly across multiple
devices. For example, Google Apps users access data and apps on any device.
Chrome, Gmail, Google Drive, Hangouts, and Google+ all work natively on the web
and on the two major mobile platforms (Android and iOS).

And today, people use multiple devices – even if not all of
them are company-provided. About one out of four U.S. consumers owns a laptop,
smartphone, and tablet, according Deloitte’s “State of the Media Democracy Survey”
conducted in November 2012. These multi-device users switch between these
devices throughout the day, moving from the laptop to smartphone to tablet.

Multi-device

But hardware accessories too often work with one device: Alton
Brown might call these single-device accessories uni-taskers.
Software and services that work on many platforms make life easier. There’s no
reason hardware accessories can’t work with multiple devices: why buy two mice
for two devices, when you only have one employee?

Here are four accessory purchases you should re-think for
multi-device users.

Keyboards

Many users have at least two keyboards: one for a desktop,
and another for use with a tablet. I suggest you buy keyboards that work with
multiple devices. A single Bluetooth keyboard that supports pairing with more
than one device at a time makes sense. For example, I use a Logitech Wireless
Solar Keyboard K760 paired with my Chromebox, iPad, and Android phone. I press
a key to switch the keyboard to work with any of these devices; I don’t have to
re-pair the device every time.

The only downside to this setup is that operating-system
specific keys are not present or may not work. For example, if there’s no “Windows”
key on the device. In most cases, there are alternative key combinations that
work well. (There are also similar keyboards that enable fast device switching
with Windows keys; some of those lack the “Apple”/command key.)

Mice

As with keyboards, why purchase more than one mouse? Until
recently, Bluetooth mice that remembered multiple pairing were quite rare. I
use an Elecom
9nove mouse paired with my Chromebook and my Android phone. (Yes, Bluetooth
mice work well with Android devices. The Elecom 9nove is a bit unusual: I
ordered mine from Japan.) The Elecom mouse can remember pairings for nine
different Bluetooth systems.

For more conventional users, a mouse might be paired with a
desktop and standard Windows laptop. For example, Logitech’s
Ultrathin Touch Mouse offers Bluetooth switching between two devices. I
expect we’ll see more mice that support multiple Bluetooth devices in the
coming year.

Headsets

Headsets are a bit more interesting, as there are both
wireless and wired options available that work well with multiple devices.
Wireless headsets that support Bluetooth multipoint, or pairing with two
different devices, are common. Typically, these are designed to support two
smartphones. Some support desktop and phone audio. For example, Jawbone’s Icon HD plus
The Nerd is designed to be paired with a Mac/Windows system and a phone:
listen to computer audio, then switch to a call on your smartphone, then back
to computer audio.

Many wired headset manufacturers offer headsets with
adapters to enable devices to work with laptops and desktops, in addition to
phones and tablets. In my case, I don’t need an adapter, since the Chromebox’s
audio port is compatible with a wired smartphone headset. I use a single, wired
headset (an Etymotic) with a Chromebox, Chromebook, iPad, and Android phone.
Switching between devices in this case means unplugging and re-plugging.
(Personally, I prefer a wired headset over Bluetooth, because it means one
fewer item I need to charge.)

Printers

While one mouse or headset per person is prudent, one
printer per person is waste. Unless security or business reasons absolutely
require it, a printer should be a shared resources, not a single-user resource.
Many organizations still have too many printers.

Printers increasingly support printing from all four major
operating system platforms: Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. Windows and Mac
support will typically be specified on the box. Look for support of Airplay to
ensure compatibility with iOS (iPhone and iPad) devices, and printers that
support Google’s Cloud Print to ensure compatibility with printing from Chrome
OS and Android devices. Ideally, a printer should support both wired and
wireless network connections.

No uni-taskers

Alton Brown, the Food Network star, encourages
people to avoid “unitaskers” (single purpose devices) in the kitchen.
In the age of cloud software and multiple devices, I think it’s time we expect
more from our hardware accessories. No more single-device keyboards or mice
might be a good start. What do you think?